1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a segmented lifting or folding gate, which is vertically movable and has a plurality of segments. Adjacent segments are pivotable relative to one another at their ends along horizontally extending pivot axes. The folding gate includes a door, which has cases and a door leaf. The door leaf is formed of a plurality of door leaf segments, which are pivotable relative to one another and whose pivot axes extend coaxially to the pivot axes of the gate segments. The door leaf or the case is provided with at least one opening, at least one sliding bolt being displaceable axially, horizontally in the main plane of the door, and the sliding bolt engaging in the opening when the door is closed.
2. Description of the Background Art
Segmented lifting or folding gates have been known for a long time and are usually formed of lamellar, essentially rectangular plate-shaped segments, two vertically adjacent segments extending along a common, horizontal pivot axis, which extends parallel to longitudinal sides of the segments, and are pivotable with respect to one another. As a material for the segments, inter alia, light metals such as aluminum are used. A distinction is here made between lifting gates, in which the segments are pivoted essentially through 90° during lifting and when open the gate extends parallel to the ceiling; and folding gates, in which the adjacent segments are folded together in the manner of a concertina during opening in order to be able to close large-area openings in buildings, for example garage gates or industrial gates, without using rigid gate wings which swing out to an extended amount.
To allow passage of the gates for an individual person, without the need to open the entire gate, it is known to integrate doors in these gates, the door leaf also being composed of a plurality of segments which are pivotable relative to one another, and the pivot axes of these door leaf segments extend coaxially to the above-described pivot axes. To increase the stability of the construction, the door is installed in a door frame having vertically and horizontally extending cases. It should be possible to use these doors as escape doors, for example in the event of a fire, if the gate cannot be opened in a conventional manner. Such gates are disclosed in EP-A-0 936 339 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,723, which have cases or thresholds extending on the underside of the gate in the region of the door, individual segments of the door being in connection with the gate via horizontally extending sliding bolts. DE-A-3835055 finally is the only one to show a door integrated into the gate.
A disadvantage in the case of the gates known hitherto, with an integrated door, can be seen in the fact that, on the underside of the doors, a horizontally extending case or threshold is always arranged, which, particularly in emergencies, when rapid departure from the building is necessary, represents a trip threshold, over which persons can fall and injure themselves, or the evacuation of the building is delayed. This threshold has so far been regarded as indispensable, since on one hand it serves to provide the entire gate construction with sufficient stability when the gate is closed and on the other hand prevents a torsion of the floor section perpendicular to the main plane of the gate when the gate is opened. With interlocking contact of the door leaf, this stable door frame surrounding the door opening also prevents the pivotable segments of the door leaf moving relative to the gate. This threshold is also the reason why such doors are not approved as an escape route.